Transformer mounting bracket



Oct. 27, 1959 5. J. WARD ETAL TRANSFORMER MOUNTING BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1958 INVENTORS. SAMUEL J WARD WILL/AM E. HOL/MAN M/LTON C CROSS Oct. 27, 1959 5. J. WARD ET AL 2,910,261

TRANSFORMER MOUNTING BRACKET Filed Feb. 28. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SAMUEL J WARD \J WILL/AM E. HOL/MAN MILTON a mass 5 k INVENTORS.

United States Patent TRANSFORMER MOUNTING BRACKET Samuel J. Ward and William E. Holiman, Houston, and Milton C. Cross, Bellaire, Tex.

Application February 28, 1958, Serial No. 718,265

15 Claims. (Cl. 248-230) This invention relates to supports for holding electrical transformers or the like on poles and more particularly to brackets capable of supporting two transformers of the same or different sizes, and means for mounting these brackets on poles.

Transformers commonly used in the transmission of electrical power generally are of one of two sizes. The small size has two mounting connections vertically spaced 12 inches apart and the large size has the mounting connections 24 inches apart. Brackets for mounting these transformers on poles generally have been designed to hold one transformer on each bracket. In some cases separate brackets have been provided for attachment to each connection from a transformer, thereby requiring two brackets for each supported transformer.

This invention provides a transformer mounting bracket suitable for supporting a single transformer, a pair of transformers of each size, or one transformer of each size. The mounting bracket has two vertically spaced sections of generally hexagonal shape. Each section consists of an arcuate base member conforming generally to the exterior shape of the pole, a pair of side members extending outwardly from the ends of the arcuate base member, an outer bridging member generally parallel to the arcuate base member, and a pair of plates whose sides are connected to the ends of the outer bridging member and the outer ends of the side membersrespectively. Each plate extends vertically above and below each of the bracket sections and forms a single plate common to both sections. The transformers are fastened to these plates.

The bracket may be secured to the pole by bolts pas-sing through thearcuate members, or by pole-encircling bands fastened to the outwardly extending side members of the bracket so that a substantially closed loop is formed around the pole by the bands and the brackets arcuate base members. By drawing the bands and the bracket together so that the bands and bracket are caused to press tightly against the pole, the bracket will be held in place.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in the drawings which may be better understood from the description which follows. In the drawing-s:

Fig. 1 shows two transformers mounted on a bracket of this invention supported on a utility pole,

Fig. 2 illustrates the side elevation, the bracket supported on the pole by upper and lower sets of pole encircling bands,

Fig. 3 is a front view of the bracket secured to a pole,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bracket showing the pole to which it is secured in section, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bracket.

The bracket 1, includes, when secured to a pole, upper and lower sections 2, 2 which are generally hexagonal in shape. Each section consists of an arcuate base member 3, 3, a pair of side members 4, 4, 5, 5 extending outwardly from the ends of the arcuate base members 3, 3', an outer bridging member 6, 6, and a pair of transformer supporting plates, 7, 7 having their side edges connected to the ends of the side members 4, 4', 5, 5' remote from the arcuate base members 3, 3', and to the ends of'the bridging member 6, 6, respectively. Each of these transformer supporting plates 7, 7' extends above and below the upper and lower sections 2, 2 and forms a single plate common to both sections.

The arcuate members 3, 3 are adapted to be secured against the pole and have a radius of curvature the same as that of average size poles. Since poles vary in size, it is desirable to have the bracket conform to medium size poles so that there will be a minimum of difference of curvature between the arcuate member and the pole when the bracket is used with smaller or larger poles.

The vertical plates, 7, 7' which are fastened perpendicularly to the outwardly extending side members 4, 4', 5, 5 converge toward the bridging members 6, 6' to which they are connected. The plates extend above the side members 4, 4' and below the side members 5, 5.

The upper bridging member 6 is opposite the lower portion of upper arcuate base member 3 while the lower bridging member 6 is above the lower arcuate base member 3, although they could be located in other positions if deemed desirable.

8 Each transformer supporting plate 7, 7, has four openings 8, 8', 9, 9', 10, 10', 11, 11'. The openings 8, 8', which are adjacent the upper ends and the openings 10, 10 which are adjacent the lower ends of the plates and the center openings 9, 9 are for receiving the transformer supporting bolts 12, 12'. The openings 8, 10 are spaced 24 inches on center. The center opening 9 is spaced 12 inches on center from each of the outer openings 8, 10.

As shown in Fig. 1, a large size transformer 13, is bolted to one of the transformer supporting plates 7 through the upper and lower openings 8, 10, with bolts 12, and nuts 14, while a small transformer 15, is similarly fastened to the other transformer supporting plate 7' through openings 8', 9'.

Plates 7, 7 are inwardly concave so that when the nuts 14, 14 are tightened on the bolts 12, 12' to firmly secure the transformer connections against the outer face of the transformer supporting plates 7, 7', the force of the-transformer plate against the outer edges of the nut will tend to distort the outer portion of the nut in a direcion away from the transformer supporting plates.

5 This action will tend to cause the threads of the nut to bind against the threads of the bolt and will cause the nut to resist any tendency to turn loose.

Openings 11, 11' are for the purpose of securing a ground connection and their location is not critical. They are conveniently placed in the lower half of plates 7, 7.

The bracket is mounted upon a pole 16, which may have the usual cross-bars 17, for carrying the utility wires. In supporting the bracket from a pole, the bracket may be bolted to the pole. For this purpose, openings 18, 18 are provided in the arcuate base members 3, 3' to receive bolts to pass through the pole. Alternatively, the bracket may be secured to the pole by upper and lower bands 19, 19' which encircle the pole. Each of these bands are formed of a plurality of arcuate sections 20, each of which has apertured outwardly-extending ears 21, 21 at their ends, so that they may be bolted together about a pole.

The arcuate sections 20, preferably have the same radius of curvature as that of medium sized poles, i.e. the same as the arcuate base members 3,3 of the bracket.

' The length of each of the arcuate sections 20 is determined by the total length of the bands 19,19 when the several sections 20 have been fastened together. The bands are long enough to encircle the portion of the pole curvature as the bands.

" not lying beneath the arcuate base members 3,3 of the bracket 3. The cumulative length of the arcuate sections 20 of each band is less than the distance around to be encircled by the band on a medium size pole. Thus there will be space between the ears 21,21 of adjacent arcuate sections 20 when they are fastened together-around a pole, which will permit them to be drawn tightly towards each other so that the bands will tightly grip the pole. Furthermore if the bands are used on a small pole the arcuate sections 20 will not be too long and will not tend to overlap each other.

The ears 21,21 are not radially directed from arcuate members 20, but are at such an angle that the ears of adjacent arcuate member sections will be parallel when the bands are used on a pole having the same radius of Thus when nuts are tightened on bolts through the openings in the ears the nuts will rest flat against the inside of the ears rather than contacting the car on only one edge of the nut.

- through the respective openings 22,22, 23,23, 24,24

held in place by nuts 26,26. The nuts are tightened up so that the bracket and band sections tightly grip the pole. The openings 23,23 are located in the upper portion of the upper side members 4,4 and are below the upper transformer mounting openings 8,8 in plates 7,7. The

. openings 24,24 are located in the upper portion of the lower side members 5,5 and are above the lower transformer mounting openings 10, in plates 7,7. By placing these openings in the upper portions of their respective side members, the bands 19,19 which encircle the pole will be partly above the side members to which they are connected. By placing the upper transformer mounting opening 8,8 above the upper clamping bolts 25 and the lower transformer connection 10,10 below the lower clamping bolts 25', the bracket tends to dig into the pole at its lower edge, as is more fully set out in U.S. Patent 2,761,643. Since transformers may weigh 4,000 lbs. or more the tendency of the bracket to bite into the pole is helpful in resisting the normal tendency of the bracket to slide down the pole.

p In many instances it is desirable to attach the transformers to the bracket on the ground and then to'raise the entire assembly into place on the upper-portion of the pole in one operation. To enable this to be accomplished the upper outer bridging member 6 is provided with an opening 27 through which a hook or similar device may be inserted for supporting the transformerbracket assembly while it is being raised to its position on the pole.

While this support is designed to be used for transformers, it is obvious that it may also be used for supporting other objects of substantial weight on poles.

The description herein sets forth a preferred embodiment of the transformer mounting bracket of this invention. It will, of course, be understood that Various details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof and it is therefore not the purpose to limit the scope of the patent granted otherwise than by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like comprising aligned, vertically spaced, arcuate base members, adapted to be clamped to a pole, spaced side members extending outwardly from the side edges of each of the arcuate base members, a pair of transformer-support- 75 7 ing plates extending vertically in substantial parallelism, each of said transformer-supporting plates having one edge thereof attached to the respective edges of the side mem bers remote from the spaced arcuate base members, and spaced bridging members having the ends thereof attached to the other edges of said transformer-supporting plates to space the transformer supporting plates in symmetrical relationship.

2. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 1 in which said side members have openings through which fastening means may pass for securing said bracket to a pole.

3. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 2 in which said openings in the side members extending from one of said arcuate base mem bers are located near the free edges of said side members on the same side of said side members and in which said openings in the side members extending from the other of said arcuate base members are located near the edges thereof remote from the edges of the first side members near which said openings are located.

4. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 1 in which said arcuate base members have openings through which fastening means may be passed to secure the bracket to a pole.

5. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 1 in which said transformer-supporting plates have openings through which means for connecting transformers tothe plates may pass.

6. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 5 in which said transformer-supporting plates are curved in the area thereof having saidopenings. 7. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 5 in which one of said openings is located in each of the end portions of each of said transformer-supporting plates.

8. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 7 in which an opening is located in each transformer-supporting plate intermediate said openings in the end portions of said transformer-supporting plates.

9. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 7, in which said side members have openings through which fastening means may pass for securing said bracket to a pole and in which said openings in the end portions of said transformer-supporting plates are located outwardly from said openings in said side members in the direction of the length of said transformer-supporting plates.

: 10. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like asset forth in claim 1 in which said transformer-supporting plates converge outwardly from said spaced side members. 1

11. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like as set forth in claim 1 in which said spaced bridging members are substantially parallel to said arcuate base members.v

12. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like comprising an arcuate base member adapted to be attached to a pole, side members extending outwardly from the respective side edges of the arcuate base member, a pair of transformer-supporting plates, each of said transformer-supporting plates having one edge thereof attached to the respective edges of the side member remote from the base member, said transformer-supporting plates converging outwardly from said side members towards one another, and a bridging member having opposite edges thereof attached to the other edges of said transformer-supporting plates,

13. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like asset forth in claim 12 in which the transformer-supporting plates have openings through which means for connecting transformers to the plates may pass, and said of having said openings.

5 6 14. A supporting bracket for transformers or the like References Cited in the file of this patent as set forth in claim 12 in which said side members diverge UNITED STATES PATENTS outwardly from said arcuate base member.

15. A supporting bracket for transformers 01 t like 3 55:5 5 u 1 2; f 1 r J A y as set 01th in claim in Wmcn said bndgmg member 0 W616 43 Ward Sept 4, 1956 is generally parallel to said arcuate base member. 

